John McGinn was one of the standout performers as Aston Villa beat Fulham, but another player quietly stole the show.

Unai Emery can breathe a sigh of relief as Aston Villa finally picked up three points in the Premier League.

Goals from Ollie Watkins, John McGinn, and Emi Buendia secured the win in a fixture that was not without controversy, with VAR decisions dominating much of the conversation.

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Yet beyond the referee drama, there was a sea of impressive individual performances. McGinn earned man of the match honours, but it was Buendia who truly made an impact against the Cottagers.

Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Buendia is not a name Aston Villa fans would have expected to dominate a fixture, especially coming off the bench. The Argentine replaced Harvey Elliott at half-time – a decision initially questioned by supporters.

Just 20 minutes later, any doubts were gone. Buendia looked inspired, reminiscent of the player Villa supporters had seen in his earlier days.

In a 45-minute cameo, he scored a goal, provided an assist, and injected energy into Villa’s attack.

Buendia vs Fulham, via FOTMOB.

Buendia’s goal and assist marked only the...